The Edo State Government has said it will launch a full-scale probe into the Edo Museum of West African Arts (EMOWAA/MOWAA) project, with officials alleged to be involved in financial mismanagement expected to face questioning
Commissioner for Information, Kassim Afegbua, disclosed this on Monday during an interview on TRUST BASE NEWS’s Sunrise Daily programme.
Afegbua said the state now has documents indicating possible financial infractions and is prepared to ensure full accountability.
“Yes, there is a plan for a probe,” he said. “Proper investigation will be done based on the documents we now have at hand. People are going to be asked questions and will have to answer on financial profligacy and malfeasance.”
He explained that the project is fully owned by the Edo State Government and largely funded with taxpayers’ money.
He added that international donor partners who contributed financially would also demand clarity on how their funds were managed.
The Commissioner raised concerns over what he described as the “secretive” overnight change of the project’s name from Edo Museum of West African Arts to Museum of West African Arts.
He said the state would not relinquish ownership, insisting that official documents still reflect full government control.
Afegbua confirmed that the government would work with Interpol, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and other agencies to ensure a transparent investigation.
He noted that the immediate past governor, Godwin Obaseki, had previously set up a committee chaired by Senator Adams Oshiomhole to conduct preliminary checks before the matter was escalated.
Describing the financial concerns as straightforward, he revealed that estimates from the quantity surveyor showed the pavilion construction cost was ₦4.1 billion, out of which ₦3.8 billion had already been paid, with clear progress milestones documented.
“We are only saying, hand over to the Edo State Government what belongs to the Edo people instead of converting it overnight to yourselves,” he said.
Afegbua also queried staff and trustee appointments, alleging that key decisions were made “singlehandedly” without the government’s knowledge, despite the state contributing 95% of the funding.
He added that donor countries “should be asking Obaseki, Ihenacho and others: where is our money?”
The Commissioner noted that the project began under the Legacy Restoration Trust before transitioning to EMOWAA and later MOWAA, emphasising that state funds were committed at each stage with Executive Council approval.
The Governor of the State, Monday Okpebholo, had also reiterated the commissioner’s comments last Friday, warning that there would be criminal prosecution over the construction of the MOWAA.
